Hidden Vegan Apple Cake (Gluten-Free)
This Hidden Vegan Apple Cake is a cosy apple vanilla cake with a hidden apple inside. Top this fluffy cake with a thick vanilla frosting and sticky pecans and apples for a delicious afternoon tea delight.
Apples are delicious all year round, but when paired with pecans and warming spices, they become even more delicious especially for the colder months. This cake was inspired by a lot of apples we had left over at home and by my love for hidden surprise cakes (like my Hidden Gingerbread Banana Bread and my Birthday Cake Banana Bread). Each slice features a perfectly shaped red-pink apple inside a vanilla apple loaf which makes for a great afternoon tea surprise.
Why will I love this cake?
This apple cake is double the apple goodness, it’s:
- Light, fluffy, moreish and tender
- Packed with apples and warming vanilla
- Laced with pumpkin pie and cinnamon spices
- Features a hidden red-pink apple in every slice
- Easy and fun to make
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- A great showstopper and crowd-pleaser
- A delicious way to use up apples
- Great as an alternative dessert for the Holiday season
If you already love the sound of this Hidden Vegan Apple Cake then skip ahead to the recipe card below. Or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredient list may seem long, but the two cakes use the same cake batter with only a few adjustments. Then we also have the frosting and apple topping.
Firstly, the cake batters:
- Apple: the obvious ingredient for an apple loaf. Use any variety of apple. I like to peel the apple and then grate it so you have bits of apple in every bite.
- Plant-based milk: any milk is great here like oat, almond, rice or coconut.
- Sunflower oil: or you can use a light olive oil. For the texture, I find liquid neutral oils are best but you can swap this for melted and cooled coconut oil, too.
- Coconut yoghurt: in the same quantities as the oil, this adds moisture, fat and gut health goodness to the loaf. I like the Cocos Organic brand as the yoghurt needs to be thick and creamy for the best loaf.
- Coconut or caster sugar: as the middle apple loaf is darker in colour, I use coconut sugar for the first bake and for the second loaf, I use caster sugar as the colour is lighter and makes the contrast between the two greater. You can use the same sugar for both and golden caster sugar will also work.
- Apple cider vinegar: this curdles the dairy-free milk to form a buttermilk and helps to bind this egg-free loaf. You can also use lemon juice.
- Plain or gluten-free plain flour: this keeps the loaf nice and light. If using gluten-free flour, make sure it’s a 1:1 baking blend that contains xathan gum and that you’d usually bake with.
- Vegan vanilla or caramel protein powder: this replaces some of the flour and adds a lovely texture and flavour to the loaf. My favourites to use are the vanilla buttercream or caramelised white chocolate proteins from Macromike (you can save off all their range with code AMB-AMY). If you do not bake with protein powders, you can swap this for more plain flour, although the batter may be slightly wetter and require more baking time.
- Baking powder and salt: for rise and flavour.
- Pumpkin pie spices: this is a homemade blend of cinnamon, ground ginger, mixed spices and nutmeg. You can add a pinch of cardamom, too, if you like.
- Pink or red food gel: I also prefer to use food colouring gels rather than liquid as the pigment is much stronger meaning you need less and it does not add much liquid to the overall mix. Adding too much extra liquid in the form of colouring can cause the batter to split. Just be sure to check that your colourings are vegan-friendly. The Baking Time Club have a great range of colours online which are vegan and gluten-free.
As for the sticky apples on top:
- Apple: I prefer to leave the skin on this apple and then chop small to add to a pan with all the other ingredients.
- Pecans: these work so well with apples but you can also use walnuts, or, if make this nut-free, swap for sunflower seeds or leave them out.
- Olive oil: for making them crispy and delicious. I like the richness of olive oil but vegan butter or coconut oil will also work.
- Maple syrup: for stickiness. Other syrups like agave or vegan honey are great.
- Cinnamon: for flavour.
Finally, for the frosting:
- Coconut yoghurt: as above, make sure this is really thick and creamy. I like the natural or the vanilla Cocos Organic here.
- Vegan vanilla or caramel protein: as above, this adds flavour and thickens the yoghurt, too. If you are not using protein powder, make sure the yoghurt is really thick or see other options below.
How do I make this loaf?
To make this apple loaf cake, you need to plan ahead as it requires you to make two cakes at different times and he first one must cool completely.
- Make the red apple cake: whisk together the wet ingredients then add the dry ingredients and bake till cooked through.
- Allow the red cake to cool fully: first in the tin then on a wire rack. You can pop the cake in the fridge to speed up the process.
- Slice the red cake into slices just thinner than your cutter: this will mean you can easily cut out the red apples.
- Keep the scraps for later and place the red apples to one side: for using in the loaf.
- Make the vanilla apple batter: whisk the wet ingredients and then the dry ingredients till smooth.
- Pour one quarter of the batter into a lined loaf tin: and smooth over the base.
- Line up all the apples down the middle of the tin: in a straight line, as compact as possible.
- Pour/spoon over the rest of the vanilla batter: making sure to cover the apples completely.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until golden and fluffy: and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow to cool: first in the tin then on a wire rack till fully cooled.
- Make the sticky apple topping: by frying off all the ingredients together till sticky. Allow to cool briefly.
- Make the frosting: by whisking together the ingredients till smooth.
- Spread the frosting all over the cake: and top with the sticky apples.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
To make this cake gluten-free, use your favourite gluten-free flour blend that you usually bake with. To keep this cake nut-free, leave out the pecans for the topping or use sunflower seeds. Also check that your milk, yoghurt and protein powders are all nut-free.
How long will this last?
This cake will keep for 3-5 days in a sealed container in the fridge and you can freeze the unfrosted loaf for up to 1 month. Allow to defrost at room temperature and then frost as above. I like to eat the cake at room temperature, so remove it from the fridge about 20 minutes before eating.
Can I make a different frosting?
If you prefer a more traditional frosting you can use:
- Caramel whipped cream
- Vegan cream cheese frosting
- Cinnamon buttercream
- Vanilla buttercream
- Enjoy the cake without frosting, it is delicious as it is
Can I just make one cake instead?
Yes, if you do not have time to make this apple cake with the hidden apple, just make the second cake as it is and frost and decorate in the same way.
What do I do with the leftover cake?
No cake is ever wasted here and I have a really special recipe to use the red cake scraps (coming soon). Or you can put them towards:
I love this cake, what else can I make?
I hope you are going to love making and eating this Hidden Vegan Apple Cake and for more ideas, how about my:
- Caramel Apple and Pecan Blondies
- Caramel Apple Loaf Cake
- Chai Apple Cake with Chocolate Ganache
- Cinnamon Streusel Banana Bread
- Cinnamon Roll Banana Bread
Hidden Vegan Apple Cake
This Hidden Vegan Apple Cake is a cosy apple vanilla cake with a hidden apple inside. Top this fluffy cake with a thick vanilla frosting and sticky pecans and apples for a delicious afternoon tea delight.
Ingredients
For the Red Loaf:
- 1 apple, peeled and grated (100g)
- 180ml plant-based milk
- 60ml sunflower oil
- 60g coconut yoghurt
- 80g coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 245g plain or GF plain flour
- 25g vegan vanilla or caramel protein powder
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- Pink or red food gel/colouring
For the Apple Loaf:
- 1 apple, peeled and grated (100g)
- 180ml plant-based milk
- 60ml sunflower oil
- 60g coconut yoghurt
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 245g plain or GF plain flour
- 25g vegan vanilla or caramel protein powder
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spices (or 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp mixed spices, ¼ tsp nutmeg)
- A pinch of salt
For the Apple Topping:
- 1 apple, washed
- 30g pecans, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp cinnamon
For the Frosting:
- 200g thick coconut yoghurt
- 25g vegan vanilla or caramel protein powder
Instructions
- For the Red Apple Loaf (can be prepared the day before): preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a loaf tin with parchment paper. Whisk together the milk, oil, yoghurt, sugar and apple cider vinegar till smooth. Sift in the flour, protein powder and baking powder and whisk to a thick batter. Fold in the apple with some pink/red food gel to reach the desired colour. Pour into the loaf tin, smooth over the top and bake for 40 minutes, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes then lift out the tin to cool fully.
Once cool, carefully slice the cake into slices (just thinner than your cookie cutter). Using an apple-shaped cutter, cut out apples from each slice of cake. - Leave these to one side and save the cake scraps for other recipes.
When ready to make the Apple Loaf Cake: preheat the oven to 160Fan/180*C and line a loaf tin with parchment paper. Whisk together the milk, oil, yoghurt, sugar and apple cider vinegar till smooth. Sift in the flour, protein powder, baking powder, spices and add the salt. Whisk to a thick batter. - Pour ¼ of the mixture into the tin and smooth over the bottom. Now line up all the red cake apples down the middle of the tin. Cover with the remaining loaf cake batter and smoother over the top (make sure all the apples care covered).
- Bake for 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes then lift out the tin to cool fully.
- To make the Apple Topping: core the apple and chop into small pieces. Add to a small frying pan with all the other ingredients and once hot, cook for 10 minutes until sticky and soft. Leave to one side to cool.
- For the Frosting: whisk together the ingredients till smooth and thick.
- To assemble: spread the frosting all over the cake and top with the sticky apples and pecans. Serve right away or store in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- The unfrosted cake can be frozen for up to 1 month, wrapped well and allow to defrost at room temperature. The cake scraps can also be frozen in this way.
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I look forward to hearing what you think of this Hidden Vegan Apple Cake so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this loaf cake, I’d love to see so please tag me, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With hidden apples of love x
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